5681 Shaw Road, Haslett

Architecture critic Amanda Harrell-Seyburn says: Everyone needs a change every once in a while. So do buildings. The property at 5681 Shaw Road is ready for a change, and a major renovation or complete new construction would be just right. The intentional use of ambient northern light — cool illumination from the skylights and windows fill the interior with lovely natural lighting — is a great design technique that should be maintained during a renovation or should inform the design for new construction. To learn more about northern ambient light in design from Harrell-Seyburn see this story at www.LansingCityPulse.com.

At this Shaw Road property sits an abandoned building that looks as if it was transported from the set of a dystopian science fiction film in which the end is near and the cast of actors will soon be diminished to one.

The structure now features exposed insulation, rotting wooden framing, curled roof shingles and a death trap of staircases. An outer glass wall gives a fully accessed view to rooms full of building materials and various objects covered in dust. Although the grass yard was recently mowed, the overgrown brush at the entrances and parking lot could prevent entry.